By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Rep. Roger Mashall, R-Kansas, was in Hays on Thursday talking trade with his constituents.
"I think the biggest news in recent history — the most historical news to agriculture in my lifetime — are the trade agreements that the president has completed this last week," Marshall said.
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been approved by both houses of Congress, and the president has completed phase one of a trade deal with China.
These deals are critical to Kansas as 40 percent of the Kansas economy is dependent on agriculture, Marshall said.
Last year China bought $70 million worth of U.S. beef. This year China has pledged to buy $1 billion worth of U.S. beef.
In total China's import of U.S. ag products is expected to jump from $9 billion to $37 billion.
Although there will be some expansion of ag exports to Mexico and Canada, the deal will likely move more manufacturing jobs back to the States, Marshall said.
"I think those are two huge wins for America," he said. "They both mean thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in increased exports from Kansas.
"I can't promise you the wheat price is going to go up, but it should and the beef prices and some of those types as well. I think there are great, great opportunities."
Voters upset about VA, drug costs
Marshall opened up the town hall for questions. Several people talked about issues they were having with Veterans Affairs.
Jim Tyree of Wilson, a Navy veteran, said his wife has not been able to get the medicine that she needs.
Kathy Zeleneka, also a veteran from Wilson, said she was struggling to obtain proper care for her cancer.
A Hays resident Arlyn Schupman told Marshall, an MD, he was struggling with sharp increases in medication costs for his family. His wife is on a medication that costs $250 every two weeks.
Schupman asked why drug costs in America are high compared to other nations.
Marshall explained big pharmaceutical companies sell drugs to pharmacy benefit managers, who function like wholesalers. Those benefit managers, in turn, sell the drugs to pharmacies.
The benefit managers take a large chunk of the profits. The benefits managers are also allowed to give legal kickbacks to the drug manufacturers.
Marshall said the benefit managers and the drug manufacturers back big lobbying efforts and as a result, it is difficult to pass reforms.
"I think I know how to fix it, but Nancy Pelosi is not going to let us fix it," Marshall said. "She is not going to let us get any types of solutions to the committee to solve the problem. She does not want President Trump to get any credit for this."